Tag: jalapeno

Restaurant Review – Levant Cafe & Grill (Cedar Park, TX) – Part 2

The conventional wisdom is that sequels are never as good as the original movie. Or in instances when they are, it’s usually a case of a series, as opposed to a two-part story, e.g., the endearing Toy Story franchise. But, we all know of movies in the first category – Home Alone, a great Christmas movie, which introduced Macauley Culkin to the world, followed by the demented Home Alone 2, that made us leave the theaters scratching our heads, wondering “What were they thinking?” or “How in the world can anyone survive all of THAT?”

Well, as someone who is a movie fan (albeit, not as many in recent years), I can tell you that this post will defy that conventional wisdom, and this sequel will be just as good as its original (if not better)!

My most recent post on Levant Cafe & Grill was the part 1. I won’t rehash everything I’d said before, but I did mention a sequel was coming so I could highlight one of their spicy sauces I had not yet tried – namely, their homemade Jalapeno Cilantro spicy sauce. Well, today, I tried it, among other things, and as expected, it was fabulous! BUT WAIT – THERE’S MORE! I even tried an item I had overlooked before in my previous visits/orders – specifically, the Lebanese potatoes.

The Jalapeno Cilantro sauce had both good flavor and a creamy texture. My personal taste buds seemed to indicate that creamy texture is indicative of a Tahini sauce-base, but don’t quote me! The jalapenos, themselves were minced quite well and spread evenly to provide that tangy spice that went great with my Makafel sandwich. For those who are familiar with the Austin-based, growing Tex-Mex juggernaut Chuy’s (yes, there will be a review of them in the future – patience, dear grasshoppers! :)), I think that if Levant plays their cards right, this could become another famous Jalapeno dip, just like the Chuy’s one!

Onto the Lebanese potatoes…simple, yet oh so satisfying! Roasted, salted potatoes coated in a nice red pepper sauce. Spicy enough for most people, but I specifically requested mine to be made “as spicy as humanly possible” in my DoorDash instructions, and boy did they come through! This will be another side I will order in the future, during my carb-loading days!

And the final piece – Levant also gave me some Iraqi amba on the side. Not necessarily spicy (at least, according to my taste buds), but this yellow-orange (mango-based) sauce is so full of tangy flavor and zest. I’d tried the amba several times before, but this was the first time I experienced it standalone – and it won’t be my last! 🙂

Details:

Spicy Flavors (Updated):

  • Palestinian Mhammara bread
  • Jalapeno hummus
  • Homemade spicy chili sauce (not on the menu – you have to request)
  • Homemade Jalapeno cilantro sauce (not on the menu – you have to request)
  • Lebanese potatoes
  • Iraqi amba (more zest than spice, but great flavor, nonetheless)

Personal Faves:

  • As long as it’s vegetarian or vegan, I love it! This place is Middle Eastern perfection!
  • Tried twice the Makafel sandwich with Iraqi amba (didn’t I say the place was diverse!)
  • Recently tried vegetarian Syrian moussaka
  • On my low carb days, I go for one of the bowls versus sandwiches
(Left to Right) Jalapeno cilantro, Iraqi amba, Jalapeno cilantro, Spicy chili sauce – it’s kind of like my own version of Duck-Duck-Goose!
Bright red Lebanese potatoes – I didn’t use a stopwatch, but I think I devoured the whole thing in under a minute!
My Makafel sandwich – three layers – first the chili sauce, then the Iraqi amba and Jalapeno cilantro to follow!

Spice on, my friends!

Fire in the Hole! (Still bests me)

For Yosemite Sam fans (like me) who remember his brief cameo in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, you’ll recall him screaming “Fire in the Hatch!” followed by one of his more familiar catch phrases, involving a certain reptile – “Great horny toads…” Old Sam utters this right when his (for a more PC term) “derriere” is caught ablaze, and he finally puts it out by sitting in a puddle of water.

And that brings us to today’s topic – one of my all-time favorite places in Austin (yes, it is a chain but a local and rapidly-growing one!) – Pluckers Wings. “Now, wait a minute” – you might ask. “I thought you’re a vegetarian. You told us in your last post about being creative and prepared, but why would a vegetarian go out of his way to a wings bar?” Well, for the very title of this post – Plucker’s signature, 5-star-rated Fire in the Hole sauce!

As I’d mentioned in an earlier post, I have a tolerance for spice that is significantly above the average and even 99th percentile fire-eater such that very few things challenge me. Pluckers Fire in the Hole sauce,though, is one of them. In fact, so much so that I’d put this sauce at the very top! My tolerance has grown over the years, but to this day, I have enough of it and I feel the same amount of pain as our short-fused Looney Tunes friend feels down my own “hatch!” 🙂

Pluckers’ Fire in the Hole sauce is so far and wide famous that they have a challenge – unfortunately I can’t participate since I don’t eat meat – if you can eat 25 or more wings in a single sitting, you will be on their Wall of Flame, full of old-school Polaroids at every restaurant! The chain itself was started by a group of UT Austin students in their dorm room and has grown to over 22 locations, as of this post, including one in neighboring Louisiana.

I don’t think anyone can explain what it is about the sauce that makes it so…well, AWESOME! Maybe it’s how long they age the peppers, maybe they add extra hot pepper seeds, maybe it’s aliens (ha!), but whatever it is, it challenges even the boldest heat-seekers, including this Heataholic!

Pluckers is a great place to go with the family and I love taking mine there. Even though I don’t eat meat (they do), they offer a plethora of options for vegetarians – between their grilled cheese and veggie sandwiches and their insanely out-of-this-world sides. I usually get myself the Mom’s Grilled Cheese on huge Texas Toast with a side of waffle fries tossed in Fire Sauce. We’ll usually order a large order of fried pickles and cheese sticks, but there are so many options, it’s unbelievable.

Words to the wise:

  • Whether it’s wings, fries or tots or something else, you have to tell them to make it “EXTRA WET!”
  • If Fire in the Hole seems a little too extreme for you, start with the 4-star Buffalo Hot and work your way up – it’s nowhere near the extreme of the 5-star Fire, but it will give you a kick
  • They sell bottles of Fire in the Hole and all their sauces, but they’re in such high demand (I KID YOU NOT!), they keep them locked up tight, hard-to-access places – one Pluckers had them in an overhead attic-like space that an employee had to use a ladder to climb up to get, while another kept them in a locked vault, that gives you visions of Fort Knox. Hmm, maybe when they market their “Bakers Gold” sauce, it must really have a “certain” ingredient in it! 🙂

We went to Pluckers this past Saturday and dined in – first time dining in since quarantine began and as you can see, my tolerance has improved, but in any case, I had leftovers!

Just look at that spicy goodness – an island of jalapenos in a red sea of heat! I like to order a side of it with my fried pickle appetizer.
The “before” shot – right when I got my food…
…And the “after” shot! Only 3 fries left! Next time, I’m gonna make a happy plate!

Spice on, my friends!

Texican’s Spicy Salsa

I’ve always been a firm believer of the adage “It ain’t bragging if you can back it up!” And yes, I know I can be a tad ostentatious about my spicy feats and seemingly limitless tolerance, but every now and then, I find something that challenges and humbles me.

Enter Texican Cafe – El Paso Style Mexican Food. BTW, to us locals, it doesn’t rhyme with “Mexican”, but rather, it’s pronounced “tex-uh-CAN” as opposed to “tex-uh-CAN’T!” It’s always been a favorite of mine since moving to the north Austin suburbs in 2006, and on average, I eat there at least once a month.

Not in the mood to sit down at a restaurant, I did the usual curb-side pickup tonight, which we Americans have gotten so used to during our COVID-19 quarantine. As always, I get my favorite – the Queso A La Parilla with no meat or seafood, of course. It’s not as good as it is in-house – fresh-out-of-the-oven in a cast-iron skillet, but still tasty and full of flavor. To complement this awesome cast-iron queso, I got myself a tub of their spicy salsa.

I don’t know what it is about this salsa – maybe there’re hidden ghost peppers, maybe it’s the Jalapenos that are just so finely chopped up (with or without seeds) or maybe it’s an inordinate amount of cayenne pepper, but no matter what it is, this is one salsa with which I have to take a pause after a few spoons, or at least gulp a few sips of water!!!

My tub of Texican spicy salsa – just look at those finely chopped Jalapenos and seeds! Aren’t they amazing!

In any case, it’s delicious and a perfect combination to go with whatever you order, for all you fellow spice lovers out there!

But just remember: It’s not on the menu. And it’s not even advertised, so you have to request it – wink wink! 🙂

Spice on, my friends!

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